"The California Department of Public Health has unveiled an online dashboard that tracks cases of the lung disease silicosis among fabricators of artificial-stone countertops in the state.
The dashboard, to be updated weekly, includes a running tally of cases (247 as of February 7) and deaths (15), geographic distribution of cases, median age at diagnosis and other data.
In December 2022, Public Health Watch, Univision and Southern California Public Radio were the first to reveal a cluster of silicosis cases among countertop workers in the Los Angeles area. The investigation prompted regulators to issue an emergency rule designed to protect the workers — almost all of them immigrants — from ultrafine silica dust created by the cutting and grinding of artificial stone, also known as engineered stone.
The dust embeds deeply in the lungs; the result, if exposure continues, is slow suffocation. There is no cure for silicosis, though a double lung transplant can prolong victims’ lives."
Jim Morris reports for Public Health Watch February 7, 2025.
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